Following PMW lecture to Australian MPs, Australia ceases aid to PA over salaries to terrorists

Michael Bachner and AP
|
Jul 2, 2018

Following PMW lecture to Australian MPs,
Australia ceases aid to PA over salaries to terrorists

PMW gave a lecture to Australian MPs in April 2018 informing them of and supplying them with materials about the Palestinian Authority’s salary payments to imprisoned terrorists. By the end of May, the Australian Foreign Minister had written to the PA asking for assurances that Australian funding was not going to convicted terrorists, and by July 2, 2018, Australia announced that it was cutting off direct aid to the PA over these concerns. An Australian organization, the “Australian Jewish Association,” tweeted that they had been lobbying for this and "used PMW material."

Australia ends direct aid to PA
over payments to terrorists

Australia has ended direct aid to the Palestinian Authority over fears its donations will be used to pay Palestinians convicted of terrorism and their families.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Monday [July 2, 2018] that funding to a World Bank trust fund was cut after she wrote to the Palestinian Authority in late May seeking assurance that Australian funding was not being misspent. In a statement, Bishop expressed concern that providing further aid would allow the PA to use the funds for activities that “Australia would never support.” […]

“Any assistance provided by the Palestine Liberation Organization to those convicted of politically motivated violence is an affront to Australian values, and undermines the prospect of meaningful peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” Bishop said in a statement. “I wrote to the Palestinian Authority on May 29, to seek clear assurance that Australian funding is not being used to assist Palestinians convicted of politically motivated violence,” she wrote. “I am confident that previous Australian funding to the PA through the World Bank has been used as intended,” Bishop added. “However, I am concerned that in providing funds for this aspect of the PA’s operations there is an opportunity for it to use its own budget to activities that Australia would never support.”

Australia’s AUD 10 million ($7.4 million) donation to the trust fund will now be rerouted to the United Nations’ Humanitarian Fund for the Palestinian Territories, which provides Palestinians with health care, food, water, improved sanitation and shelter. Bishop said the UN body “helps 1.9 million people. Approximately 75 per cent of its funding will be spent in Gaza where the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.” Australia allocated AUD $43 million for humanitarian assistance in the region for the current fiscal year, which began on July 1.

Australian government lawmaker Eric Abetz welcomed Bishop’s stance. “Minister Bishop’s strong and decisive decision today to ensure that the Palestinian Authority can no longer use our aid to free up money in its budget for state-promoted terrorism is very positive,” Abetz said.
“It is vital that we ensure that our foreign aid is not being spent on, or making money available for, the promotion of terrorism and so funneling our aid to the Palestinian Territories through the United Nations will provide greater assurance that the Palestinian Authority’s clever accounting cannot occur,” he added.